Upper Darby, PA – The Revolution added another win yesterday, keeping them just behind the undefeated Kings in the standings. They rolled over Danny’s Boys at the big eight pm matchup with a big second half effort. The two teams looked evenly matched on paper and throughout much of the first half. Especially at the guard and forward positions. But the Rev’s Pete Kada delivered the big blows. His scoring all over the court and stamina were the difference that gave them the W.
Kings 77 vs. Lakers 54
The Kings have been looking very sharp thus far in the season. They’re the only team to have five players averaging double figures in points. The offense strong and the defense is stingy. Last night the Kings were led by former league MVP Niki Veronis, who not only scored a game-high 34 points but also dominated the game on defense. Veronis and Zonios combined for 10 three pointers. The Kings are now at the top of my rankings because of their speed, shooting ability and defensive energy.
The Lakers finally got what looked like a full roster, but unfortunately, they were pinned against the league’s 1st place team last night. Elias Apsis and Jimmy Armentani both scored 12 points, but nobody managed to get it going offensively. Once the Lakers got a solid offensive possession, the Kings would go right down the court and score within seconds. No need to worry if you’re a Lakers fan, it’s still early, and they did hang tough in this game. This team has grit and heart, and they play together.
Game Ball – Niki Veronis
Revolution 77 vs. Danny’s Boys 67
This Revolution team looks hungry! Especially Pete Kada, who is one of my early season league MVP Candidates. He’s gotten off to a hell of a start, averaging 23.25 ppg to lead his team. Kada was efficient last night, scoring 28 points and providing the offensive spark and energy his team needed. But last night’s game ball has to go to Mr. Vasili Nasis, who played only the second half and scored 21 points to put Danny’s Boys away. Nasis hit some big clutch shots late in the game to maintain the separation.
The Boys have gotten off to a slow start this season, but I’m sure that will pick up. DB’s gotta find a way to make their offense more fluid and mesh as a team. That, though, is the beauty of having a long season. Pete Kathopoulis led the team, as he so often does, with 25 points followed by Jim Armenakis with 22 points. With the addition of an offensive force like Armenakis, it is not as likely we’ll see many of those high scoring explosions from Pete. This reinforcement should be a good thing, but they need to find a way to gel. Danny’s Boys will get another crack at the Rev since we play all teams twice this year.
Game Ball – Vasili Nasis
PAS Giannina 51 vs. Warriors 45
Well, look what we have here. Much to my surprise, along with many others, PAS Giannina is a winning team with a tough roster who plays with heart and passion. The hot hand of Evan Tsiklidis has done it again. Evan goes for 29! That’s 52 points in his last two games in which PAS is 2-0, so it seems like PAS goes when Evan goes. With their next three games against Boardwalk Empire, Lakers and Ellas, it’s quite possible the PAS team can be 5-1 after that stretch! But let’s just take 1 game at a time and see if Giannina can keep this momentum moving forward.
Inconsistency plagues the Warriors. After a solid opening day win, the Warriors have dropped three straight games and now sit at 1-3. With 25% of the season complete, this isn’t where the Warriors want to be. But, as I mentioned previously, it is a long season, and they will have plenty of chances to recover. Step one, beating the Lakers in their next game. Follow that up with an upset against Danny’s Boys and BOOM, back at .500!
Game Ball – Evan Tsiklidis